The present invention generally relates to computer games, training systems of aerospace, sportive and military designation, and more particularly, to a system for immersion of a user in virtual reality.
The invention can be employed for entertainment of children and adults. Apparatuses for computer games can be installed indoors, outdoors, or in video game rooms. The system is applicable to teach and practice military men, sportsmen, pilots and to train people in various professions, for example, policemen. It may be also useful to investigate human""s behavior in a virtual computer-generated environment.
Virtual reality is something that enables a person to move in a three-dimensional environment with six degrees of freedom and to view this environment in real time. This means that a program specifies and an apparatus recognizes six types of movement: forward/backward, upward/downward, leftward/rightward, bend upward/downward, turn leftward/rightward and roll leftward/rightward. Virtual reality is a simulation of physical reality.
Virtual reality gives a user a rear chance to feel, almost in real fashion, as being in some other world. In this world, users can see one another, talk and interact in a three-dimensional environment, appreciate colors and sounds. Such immersion creates the impressive illusion of being there. This effect is attained through the use of devices, such as a helmet with headphones and a joystick sensitive to spatial displacement.
Virtual reality generating means generally comprise a high-speed computer including a 3-D graphic accelerator, from a simple personal computer to a super-computer, and virtual reality software, such as VIRTUS VR, VIRTUS WALKTHROUGH PRO, SUPERSC APE VRT, VRCREATOR, etc.
Virtual reality display means, i.e. audio/imaging means are monitors of various types, helmet mounted displays HMD (Head Mounted Display) or CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment).
Means for interactive interaction with virtual reality, conventional input/output devices, special 3-D computer mice, gloves, joysticks and tracking apparatuses, e.g. CYBERGLOVE available from Virtual Technologies, follow almost any movement which a hand is capable of.
Tracking means enable the user""s hands, feet and body position and orientation in a real environment to be determined and displayed in a virtual environment. Tracking systems vary in the motion display principle, and may be based on mercury balancers, radio, ultrasonic, laser, etc.
Game DOOM available from ID Software, disclosed in Encyclopedia of Computer Games, Saint-Petersburg, 1995, pages 119-122, comprises a conventional set of means for creating virtual reality in its simplest form, which was available seven-eight years ago. This set includes a stationary computer, a color monitor to open a xe2x80x9cwindowxe2x80x9d to a virtual environment which seems to be lying at the other side of the screen. A manipulator, such as a joystick or a keypad, gives a possibility to control movements, turns and view in any horizontal direction in the virtual environment.
The above game, however, does not provide full immersion in virtual reality, as the virtual environment is seen through the xe2x80x9cwindowxe2x80x9d defined by boundaries of a kinescope screen. Movement is controlled by hand through the manipulator. The system fails to interactively display user""s movements in the virtual environment.
More powerful computers and advanced audio/imaging means have given rise to virtual reality displaying apparatus, such as a stereoscopic monitor or a projector worn on the user""s head like a helmet or glasses, which provides a possibility to see a 3-D image (see, e.g. Mir PK, No. 1, 1995, pages 164-175).
In the above apparatus, a virtual environment appears as a full-size world extending beyond the screen boundaries and surrounding the user. In addition to the horizontal view, the possibility is provided to look upward/downward at some angle. Manipulators, such as a 3-D mouse, gloves, permit interaction with, objects. They either respond to the interaction by a predictable reaction, or deform. The apparatus enables a person to immerse in a virtual environment, to feel as being inside this virtual environment and to interact with objects.
However, objects and movements are controlled through manipulators, this prohibiting identification of movements both in a virtual and real environment.
Recently, new developments have appeared which provide almost full immersion of a user in a virtual environment.
A prior art system for immersion of a user in virtual reality comprises a sphere-shaped closed capsule defining a real environment, the capsule being disposed on wheel supports so that to rotate around its centre, and having at least one hatch with a door for user""s entry and exit, virtual environment generating means, and means for displaying the virtual environment to the user, connected to the virtual environment generating means (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,784, 1996).
The above system exhibits improved capabilities for immersing a user in virtual reality. At least one of the support wheels is a drive wheel and provides rotation of the sphere around its centre. Mounted inside the sphere are actuators in the form of two platforms for each of the user""s feet. The platforms are secured on pivots which are, in turn, attached to a supporting surface inside the sphere. The platforms, however, only allow the simulation of user""s walking on the same place by alternatively lifting and lowering feet without a displacement forward or backward.
The prior art system does not permit the user to naturally move over the sphere inner surface, actually relocating relative to the supporting surface.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for immersing a user in virtual reality, wherein the implementation of a support for positioning a capsule, and the use of a unit for changing a virtual environment responsive to user""s actual physical movements, enable the user to unrestrictedly move inside the capsule to any side at any number of steps owing to free rotation of the capsule on supports, thereby providing a fuller immersion of the user in virtual reality.
The above object is accomplished in a system for immersing a user in virtual reality, comprising a closed sphere-shaped capsule defining a real environment, the capsule being installed on supports so that to rotate around its centre and having at least one hatch with a door for entry and exit of the user, virtual environment generating means, and virtual environment displaying means for displaying the virtual environment to the user, connected to the virtual environment generating means, wherein in accordance with invention said system comprises:
a virtual environment changing unit for changing the virtual environment responsive to actual physical movements made by the user inside the capsule,
user""s movement amount and direction determining means for determining amount and direction of a movement of the user relative to the capsule, connected to the virtual environment changing unit,
at least three wheel supports having pivot shafts directed toward the centre of the sphere and offset relative to a rotational axis of the wheel.
The system preferably comprises a sphere rotation angle sensor connected to the virtual environment changing unit, the sphere rotation angle corresponding to an amount and direction of the user""s movement relative to the inner surface of the sphere.
The sphere rotation angle sensor is advantageously a mouse comprising two rollers mounted perpendicular to one another so that to rotate and contact the sphere surface, the sphere being used as a ball of the mouse.
The means for determining an amount and direction of the user""s movement relative to the capsule preferably comprises a plurality of sensors determining a position of parts of the user""s body.
The means for determining an amount and direction of the user""s movement relative to the capsule is preferably a mouse having two rollers mounted perpendicular to one another so that to rotate and contact the sphere surface, the sphere being used as a ball of the mouse.
The capsule can be advantageously made of a set of at least one type of identical members rigidly connected therebetween and having a surface curvature specified by a predetermined curvature of the sphere.
The members are preferably selected from the group including triangles, rectangles, pentagons and hexagons.
It is also preferable that each of the wheel supports comprises at least one wheel.
The wheel supports are preferably secured on a frame.
The system advantageously comprises a platform installed inside the sphere on wheel supports having pivot shafts directed toward the centre of the sphere and offset relative to a rotational axis of the wheel.
The system preferably comprises
at least one additional sphere-shaped closed capsule in accordance with a number of additional users, the additional capsule defining a real closed space and being installed on supports so that to rotate around its centre, the additional capsule having at least one hatch with a door;
at least one additional means for displaying the virtual environment to an additional user, connected to said virtual environment generating means, to provide interactive interaction between the users.
The system advantageously comprises a pulse and/or blood pressure sensor connected to said virtual environment changing means to adjust the virtual environment displayed to the user.
The system preferably comprises means for temperature and air content control in the sphere.
The capsule is advantageously made of a radio transparent material.
The system preferably comprises a driver for adapting available programs for immersion in the virtual environment using the sphere.
The object of the invention is also attained in a system for immersing a user in virtual reality, comprising a sphere-shaped closed capsule defining a real environment, the capsule being installed on supports so that to rotate around its centre, and having at least one hatch with a door for entry and exit of the user, virtual environment generating means, and virtual environment displaying means for displaying the virtual environment to the user, connected to the virtual environment generating means, the system in accordance with the invention comprising
virtual environment changing means for changing the virtual environment responsive to actual physical movements made by the user inside the capsule;
means for determining an amount and direction of user""s movement relative to the capsule, connected to the virtual environment changing means,
the support for the capsule being gyroscopic.